The Barrier Reef

1 9 7 1 - 1 9 7 2 (Australia) 
39 x 30 minute episodes

Live-action adventures with the five man crew of the 200-ton windjammer Endeavour on Australia's Great Barrier Reef, with marine biologist Joe Francis (Richard Melkle), Captain Chet King (Joe James), Dr. Hanna and Chet's son Kip (Ken James).

This series (made by Fauna Productions after the company finished shooting Skippy) was made for the Australian 0-10 network. It was much like The Rovers from two years earlier. However, while the company was intent on using its old formula of working with familiar stories and genres, Barrier Reef was unnecessarily complicated, with the ship the Endeavour having been fitted out as a floating scientific laboratory.

The series also suffered from having too many regular characters without any of the actors staying in place for the whole series (although spunk Rowena Wallace was already well on the way to becoming one of the most ubiquitous faces on Australian television).

Despite these drawbacks in the area of dramatic narrative, Barrier Reef had wonderful locations and excellent underwater photography (filmed by a team led by husband and wife team Ron and Valerie Taylor, world renowned underwater experts). The series was pleasant to look at and never too taxing on the mind.